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I Am Cherry Alive: Poem
Publishers Weekly
One of the pleasures of reading folk and fairy tales attributed to specific cultures lies in finding the traits they share with stories from other peoples or places; another is coming upon the element that makes the story indigenous to that particular culture. The 15 brief tales collected here contain both delights: witness the story of Katanya, an obvious variant of "Thumbelina," who is a gift from the prophet Elijah to a lonely old peasant woman; and Og, a giant who is rewarded for helping Noah with a berth on top of the ark and is given food, drink and a raincoat by the grateful animals themselves. The editors do a splendid job of incorporating introductions of unfamiliar characters or ideas smoothly into the text--these tellings roll trippingly off the tongue. Shulevitz's ( Dawn ; The Treasure ) illustrations, with their characteristic jewel-like tones, are a perfect match; it seems unfortunate that there are only 10. Ages 7-10.
One of the pleasures of reading folk and fairy tales attributed to specific cultures lies in finding the traits they share with stories from other peoples or places; another is coming upon the element that makes the story indigenous to that particular culture. The 15 brief tales collected here contain both delights: witness the story of Katanya, an obvious variant of "Thumbelina," who is a gift from the prophet Elijah to a lonely old peasant woman; and Og, a giant who is rewarded for helping Noah with a berth on top of the ark and is given food, drink and a raincoat by the grateful animals themselves. The editors do a splendid job of incorporating introductions of unfamiliar characters or ideas smoothly into the text--these tellings roll trippingly off the tongue. Shulevitz's ( Dawn ; The Treasure ) illustrations, with their characteristic jewel-like tones, are a perfect match; it seems unfortunate that there are only 10. Ages 7-10.
Hardcover
First published August 22, 1991
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About the author
Delmore Schwartz
49 books103 followersDelmore Schwartz was born December 8, 1913, in Brooklyn. The marriage of his parents Harry and Rose, both Roumanian immigrants, was doomed to fail. Sadly, this misfortune with relationships was also a theme in Schwartz's life. His alcoholism, frequent use of barbiturates and amphetamines, and battles with various mental diseases, proved adverse in his relationships with women. His first marriage to Gertrude Buckman lasted six years; his second, to the young novelist Elizabeth Pollett, ended after his ceaseless paranoid accusations of adultery led him to attack an art critic with whom he believed Elizabeth was having an affair.
Despite his turbulent and unsettling home life as a child, Schwartz was a gifted and intellectual young student. He enrolled early at Columbia University, and also studied at the University of Wisconsin, eventually receiving his bachelor's degree in 1935 in philosophy from New York University. In 1936 he won the Bowdoin Prize in the Humanities for his essay "Poetry as Imitation." In 1937 his short story "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities" (successfully written in one month during the summer of 1935 after he locked himself in his Greenwich Village apartment) was published in Partisan Review, a left-wing magazine of American politics and culture; the following year this short story would be published by New Directions with other poetry and prose in his first book-length work, also titled In Dreams Begin Responsibilities. It was praised by many, including T.S. Eliot, William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, Robert Lowell, and Vladimir Nabokov.
He never finished his advanced degree in philosophy at Harvard, but was hired as the Briggs-Copeland Lecturer, and later given an Assistant Professorship. Frustrated by what he believed was a sense of anti-Semitism within the school, in 1947 Schwartz ended his twelve-year association with Harvard and returned to New York City. His book of short stories The World is a Wedding was published the following year. Time compared Schwartz to Stendhal and Anton Chekhov. By this same time his work was widely anthologized. He was publishing critical essays on other important literary figures and cultural topics, and was the poetry editor at Partisan Review, and later also at New Republic.
His increasingly itinerant nature left him dependent on a series of teaching positions at Bennington College, Kenyon College, Princeton University, the writer's colony Yaddo, and at Syracuse University, in his last years. Among others, he inspired the student Lou Reed, who later dedicated "European Son" on the Velvet Underground's first album to Schwartz. In 1960 Schwartz became the youngest poet ever to win the Bollingen Prize. His friend Saul Bellow wrote a semi-fictional memoir about Schwartz called Humboldt's Gift, which won the Pulitzer Prize.
The last years of his life Schwartz was a solitary, disheveled figure in New York. He drank frequently at the White Horse Tavern, and spent his time sitting in parks and collecting bits of work, quotes, and translations in his journal. Finding himself penniless and virtually friendless, in the summer of 1966 Schwartz checked into the Times Squares hotel, perhaps to focus on his writing. Unfortunately by this time his body had been taxed by years of drug and alcohol abuse. He worked continuously until a heart attack on July 11 seized him in the lobby of the hotel.
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Source: poets.org
Despite his turbulent and unsettling home life as a child, Schwartz was a gifted and intellectual young student. He enrolled early at Columbia University, and also studied at the University of Wisconsin, eventually receiving his bachelor's degree in 1935 in philosophy from New York University. In 1936 he won the Bowdoin Prize in the Humanities for his essay "Poetry as Imitation." In 1937 his short story "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities" (successfully written in one month during the summer of 1935 after he locked himself in his Greenwich Village apartment) was published in Partisan Review, a left-wing magazine of American politics and culture; the following year this short story would be published by New Directions with other poetry and prose in his first book-length work, also titled In Dreams Begin Responsibilities. It was praised by many, including T.S. Eliot, William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, Robert Lowell, and Vladimir Nabokov.
He never finished his advanced degree in philosophy at Harvard, but was hired as the Briggs-Copeland Lecturer, and later given an Assistant Professorship. Frustrated by what he believed was a sense of anti-Semitism within the school, in 1947 Schwartz ended his twelve-year association with Harvard and returned to New York City. His book of short stories The World is a Wedding was published the following year. Time compared Schwartz to Stendhal and Anton Chekhov. By this same time his work was widely anthologized. He was publishing critical essays on other important literary figures and cultural topics, and was the poetry editor at Partisan Review, and later also at New Republic.
His increasingly itinerant nature left him dependent on a series of teaching positions at Bennington College, Kenyon College, Princeton University, the writer's colony Yaddo, and at Syracuse University, in his last years. Among others, he inspired the student Lou Reed, who later dedicated "European Son" on the Velvet Underground's first album to Schwartz. In 1960 Schwartz became the youngest poet ever to win the Bollingen Prize. His friend Saul Bellow wrote a semi-fictional memoir about Schwartz called Humboldt's Gift, which won the Pulitzer Prize.
The last years of his life Schwartz was a solitary, disheveled figure in New York. He drank frequently at the White Horse Tavern, and spent his time sitting in parks and collecting bits of work, quotes, and translations in his journal. Finding himself penniless and virtually friendless, in the summer of 1966 Schwartz checked into the Times Squares hotel, perhaps to focus on his writing. Unfortunately by this time his body had been taxed by years of drug and alcohol abuse. He worked continuously until a heart attack on July 11 seized him in the lobby of the hotel.
________________________________________
Source: poets.org
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 16, 2020
A collection "selected and retold by" Howard Schwartz and Barbara Rush, and according to the notes these were originally in Hebrew, and have been collected primarily for Israel, Iraq, and Eastern Europe. The tales vaguely resembled folktales that are more commonly known from Germany, UK, & France but were a bit different. A quick read for a family, or for most independent readers 7 and up. 3.5 stars rounded up because it's fairly unique... the only other Jewish tales I've encountered are picture-books about golems, or the wonderful 398.2 tales by Eric A. Kimmel.
I did particularly like the tale in which the mother rescued her children from the belly of the bear (not wolf) and put bread (not stones) in as replacement before sewing the beast back up. Happy ending for all!
I did particularly like the tale in which the mother rescued her children from the belly of the bear (not wolf) and put bread (not stones) in as replacement before sewing the beast back up. Happy ending for all!
February 1, 2021
I enjoyed this one just as much as I did when I was 10. Mysticism, goblins, and witches. What's not to love?
May 17, 2018
Amusing Jewish folk tales. Nothing too exceptional.
March 29, 2009
Selected and retold by Howard Schwartz and Barbara Rush ; illustrated by Uri Shulevitz. Another one I stumbled upon, and am happy to have done so. This is geared more to younger readers. It's amazing how universal some stories and folktales really are, although each version has its own, localized twist. Loved the story of Thumbelina, and the story about the fools (I wonder if this is where Neil Simon got his inspiration for his play, Fools?)
September 7, 2011
I remember I won this in religious school by reading the most books from the library that year. It turned out to be quite a good prize. I still revisit this little book of tales from time to time. They're great folk stories for any age.
November 22, 2013
An enjoyable collection of folk tales I've never heard before. I've really enjoyed researching these things, and the illustrations in this book are an added bonus - beautiful to look at and very well done. Overall a fun book to read. :)
June 23, 2015
If you don't have the patience or time for one of Schwartz's larger collections aimed at adults, pick up one of his smaller collections aimed at younger readers. An added bonus in this collection is the wonderful illustrations of Uri Shulevitz.
March 30, 2011
I love fairy tales so much.
June 11, 2014
I really liked this book. I just found it on my coffee table and decided to read it and it was wonderful. I really liked the collection of stories that weren't too long, or too short.
January 1, 2013
A terrific collection of Jewish folktales.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews